The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in Colombia

Background: Colombia has a high teen pregnancy (TP) rate. In 2018, one in five pregnancies was from teen mothers between 10 and 19 years of age. While TP rates are declining globally, Colombia's TP rate decline has been particularly low, despite sexual education and contraception campaigns. Oth...

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Main Authors: Angela Maria Ruiz-Sternberg, Maria Botero-Pinzon, María José Niño-Orrego, Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Mary Ann Liebert 2024-04-01
Series:Women's Health Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/whr.2021.0075
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author Angela Maria Ruiz-Sternberg
Maria Botero-Pinzon
María José Niño-Orrego
Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon
author_facet Angela Maria Ruiz-Sternberg
Maria Botero-Pinzon
María José Niño-Orrego
Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon
author_sort Angela Maria Ruiz-Sternberg
collection DOAJ
description Background: Colombia has a high teen pregnancy (TP) rate. In 2018, one in five pregnancies was from teen mothers between 10 and 19 years of age. While TP rates are declining globally, Colombia's TP rate decline has been particularly low, despite sexual education and contraception campaigns. Other factors must be studied to prevent TP. Colombia has a long history of violence. We aim to assess whether there is a relationship between TP and exposure to violence in Colombia. Methods: Data from the Colombian Demographic and Health Survey 2015 and the Colombian National Department of Statistics were analyzed for association between TP and sexual violence, physical violence, physical punishment as a child, and community violence. Univariate, bivariate, multivariate, and multilevel binary logistic regression models were calculated using SPSS v.25 and HLM v.7. Results: Fifteen percent of teens were pregnant. Emotional violence was reported by 47%, sexual harassment by 27%, physical violence by 17%, physical punishment as a child by 7%, and unwanted sex by 2%. Unwanted sex (odds ratio [OR]: 3.18, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.96–5.16), sexual harassment (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.89–3.14), and physical punishment (OR: 20.30, 95% CI: 7.96–22.81) were associated with adolescent pregnancy. In unadjusted models, emotional violence was associated (OR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.06–1.40) and community violence showed a tendency (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.99–1.55). Physical violence was not associated. Conclusions: Violence exposure and particularly physical punishment, unwanted sex and sexual harassment were associated with TP incidence and should be considered risk factors for TP.
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spelling doaj-art-a39af652b04745aea2b0124f705fb6922025-08-20T02:30:49ZengMary Ann LiebertWomen's Health Reports2688-48442024-04-0151465510.1089/whr.2021.0075The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in ColombiaAngela Maria Ruiz-Sternberg0Maria Botero-Pinzon1María José Niño-Orrego2Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon3Clinical Research Group, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia.Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University College, New York, New York, USA.Clinical Research Group, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia.Clinical Research Group, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia.Background: Colombia has a high teen pregnancy (TP) rate. In 2018, one in five pregnancies was from teen mothers between 10 and 19 years of age. While TP rates are declining globally, Colombia's TP rate decline has been particularly low, despite sexual education and contraception campaigns. Other factors must be studied to prevent TP. Colombia has a long history of violence. We aim to assess whether there is a relationship between TP and exposure to violence in Colombia. Methods: Data from the Colombian Demographic and Health Survey 2015 and the Colombian National Department of Statistics were analyzed for association between TP and sexual violence, physical violence, physical punishment as a child, and community violence. Univariate, bivariate, multivariate, and multilevel binary logistic regression models were calculated using SPSS v.25 and HLM v.7. Results: Fifteen percent of teens were pregnant. Emotional violence was reported by 47%, sexual harassment by 27%, physical violence by 17%, physical punishment as a child by 7%, and unwanted sex by 2%. Unwanted sex (odds ratio [OR]: 3.18, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.96–5.16), sexual harassment (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.89–3.14), and physical punishment (OR: 20.30, 95% CI: 7.96–22.81) were associated with adolescent pregnancy. In unadjusted models, emotional violence was associated (OR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.06–1.40) and community violence showed a tendency (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.99–1.55). Physical violence was not associated. Conclusions: Violence exposure and particularly physical punishment, unwanted sex and sexual harassment were associated with TP incidence and should be considered risk factors for TP.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/whr.2021.0075pregnancy in adolescenceexposure to violenceColombia
spellingShingle Angela Maria Ruiz-Sternberg
Maria Botero-Pinzon
María José Niño-Orrego
Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon
The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in Colombia
Women's Health Reports
pregnancy in adolescence
exposure to violence
Colombia
title The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in Colombia
title_full The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in Colombia
title_fullStr The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in Colombia
title_full_unstemmed The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in Colombia
title_short The Association of Teen Pregnancy and Violence: A Multilevel Study in Colombia
title_sort association of teen pregnancy and violence a multilevel study in colombia
topic pregnancy in adolescence
exposure to violence
Colombia
url https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/whr.2021.0075
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